A Car for Every Member of the Family

Pick one and drive!

The Nissan Juke

This isn’t the first time we’ve had the chance to review a Juke. When we first got behind the wheel of this CUV, we were blown away by the fun we had driving it around town. The Juke wasn’t really designed for anyone with a large family, as the storage space inside is incredibly limited, but what you do get from a Juke is an agile, nippy and incredibly cool car to drive.

The six-speed manual gearbox delivered smooth and efficient transmission shifts at high revs, and the engine was fast enough to give the driver a great deal of confidence behind the wheel. The lag that came from the turbo did mean that low-speed pull-offs were cumbersome, but that did little to detract from the fun we had darting in and out of traffic. The 140 kWs under our feet provided a great buzz while driving.

Great cars for dad, mom, and all you first-time drivers out there. Now you decide which is best suited for you…

What makes the Juke stand out is its outlandish and unique design elements - bold and striking lines on the outside carry through to the interior. Inside, the Juke is as basic as the price tag suggests, but also has just enough gadgets to leave the owner wanting for very little. The model we tested had all the bells and whistles but was also at the top end of the Juke price range. Starting at a shade under R260 000* and increasing to a touch over R330 000*, the Juke punches above its weight if you have the cash to splash.

The Fiat 500X

The Fiat 500 is one of the most popular hatchbacks in the world. Its popularity in South Africa has been slightly limited due to the exchange rate, but you still see enough of them on the road, which tells you something about how good those Fiats are. The 500X is Fiat’s foray into the crossover market. We tested the Fiat 500L sometime ago, and although not a completely bad car, we felt it lacked the same spark and funk that made the normal 500 so popular. So you can forgive us for accepting the 500X with a little trepidation, although, it didn’t take long for us to warm to this Italian CUV.

There seem to be a plethora of cars available in this segment, so competition is incredibly hot. But so is the 500X! The looks are a combination of cute and sexy and everything it promises on the outside, it delivers within. The interior has enough Italian flair to make you take notice, but not too much to make it distracting.

The 500X is never going to win a drag race, and we found the engine a tad bit sluggish, but that doesn’t mean it was slow. The 103 kWs makes the Fiat a smooth roller rather than a speed queen. The Fiat 500X comes in three different models that range from about R310 000* to R380 000* depending on specs. If you are prepared to take a chance on something a little less known and a little less popular, you might be happily surprised.

The Jeep Renegade

The Renegade is described by Jeep as the most capable SUV ever and on a recent test, we were able to see just how true that is. Like the new Cherokee, the Renegade has a new and rather strange look that’s somehow familiar with that famous Jeep front grill. The Renegade looks like a mixture of the popular and outlandish Wrangler with the Cherokee. It has a toned down ridiculousness to it, which makes it totally cool in our books. The Renegade has a burly exterior that gives you the impression that it’s built too off-road and a stylish interior that sits comfortably in the category of a business sedan. The finishes are world-class with everything you could ever need no more than the push of a button away.

The fact that it looks like a bushwhacker doesn’t mean it isn’t suited to the trendy parts of town. If you were tempted to take the Renegade on a weekend adventure, we’ve been assured that it handles just about anything you throw in front of it.

The model range and customizations available on the new Renegade are second to none. If you choose to buy a Renegade, we think the toughest choice you’ll have to make would be trying to mix and match everything to suit you perfectly. The Renegade ranges from R340 000* to R450 000* depending on spec.